The term high risks gets used a lot and can mean very different things depending on your unique circumstances. Learn what "high risk" actually means as well as questions you need to ask if you've been told you're "high risk".

Join me in my free LIVE class Make A Birth Plan The Right Way! Grab your seat at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mallory Whitmore knows her stuff about formula! She’s a certified infant feeding tech, leader of education at Bobbie–the only mom-founded and mom-run U.S. formula brand–and she’s the face behind The Formula Mom, an online platform for infant feeding info and support.

To be clear, she’s not against breastfeeding, quite the opposite in fact! Her mission is to help parents make informed, confident, and supported infant feeding decisions–without guilt or shame. If that means all breastmilk, all formula, or someplace in between, all that matters is that your baby gets the nutrition they need!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How formula compares to breast milk
• Which “bioactive components” are found in breast milk
• What parents should look for in a formula - ignore the marketing hype!
• What types of formula are available
• How to figure out which formula is right for you
• What signs can indicate a formula is not working for your baby
• How long you should give it before you switch to a different formula
• How to feed a combination of breastmilk and formula
• What actually makes DIY formula risky
• Why it’s so important to destigmatize formula feeding
• What the difference is between absolute risk and relative risk

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode256

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Making a birth plan is a really important part of helping you have the birth you want. A birth plan helps you think through the things that you want for your birth and communicate your wishes with your birth team. To make the most of your birth plan, be sure to ask your doctor the 4 key questions you'll learn in this short episode!

And to learn 4 more questions to ask as well as how to approach the process, tips to get your doctor and nurses to pay attention and what to include, join me in my FREE LIVE class Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way. Register at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Amy had what she calls an "easy pregnancy". The birth was the difficult part. Her labor came on quickly and then stalled. While hospital staff nudged her along by breaking her water and administering Pitocin, it became clear that something was wrong.

Amy was sick - she was showing symptoms of infection. As she faded in and out of consciousness, her family and care team discussed the options. Eventually it was decided that a C-section was the best choice.

After birth, Amy didn't get her “TV moment" with her baby. Her son was taken to the NICU and she had to spend a week in the hospital. Once they were reunited, it was still difficult to feel connected. She wanted to share her story to help others feel less alone. I guarantee you, you are going to be on the edge of your seat and really learn a lot from Amy's birth story.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How long Amy and her partner worked to get pregnant
• What a “push prep” class is and why Amy recommends it
• Why she describes the attending physician as “not friendly”
• How infection symptoms can affect a pregnancy
• Why she considers her breastfeeding experience “a miracle”
• How therapy helped Amy cope with difficult postpartum feelings

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode255

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dysmorphic milk ejection reflex, also known as D-MER, is a condition experienced by lactating women and individuals where you feel a sudden, brief, and very intense negative emotional response just before milk letdown or release.

Learn about this important and underrecognized condition in this short episode.

Join me LIVE on April 30th for my FREE class - Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way! Grab your spot at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is being released during Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17). Black Maternal Health Week was created by The Black Mamas Matter Alliance, a national coalition created to ensure all Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy. 

In this episode you’re going to learn about pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Specifically, you’ll learn about the racial disparities in obstetric care as well as causes and solutions. You'll also learn how to keep yourself safe and how to help other pregnant people, too.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How maternal morbidity and mortality are defined
• How many people die from pregnancy-related causes each year
• How morbidity and mortality rates vary by race
• Why focusing on Black Mamas is essential
• How to interpret maternal data correctly
• What the most common causes are of pregnancy-related death
• What you can do to help

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode254

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Black Maternal Health week is April 11-17th!

In this short episode I'm sharing some facts about Black Maternal Health.

As I've done before, during Black Maternal Health week I'm collecting donations to giveaway spots in my online childbirth education class, The Birth Preparation Course. I'd love for my community to come together and donate enough to give away 10 spots! Please donate whatever you can at drnicolerankins.com/help.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I love connecting you with other physicians who have a real heart and passion for caring for people and that’s exactly what you’re going to get in this episode with Dr. Jess. 

Since she was 10 years old, Dr. Jess Daigle (@momandme_md) knew she wanted to be a pediatrician and neonatologist. Now a board-certified pediatrician and CEO of Mom & Me MD, a concierge practice that focuses on providing in-home care and support for moms and babies after a NICU stay, she has made that dream a reality and then some.

Dr Jess’s dedication to NICU care is rooted in her own challenging experiences with pregnancy and birth including a loss at 19 weeks and bedrest for 65 days followed by a preterm birth with her second pregnancy. Her passion and commitment for her work really shines through in this episode and you can’t help but listen to her and think “Man, I would love for her to be my doctor!”. 

We have a great conversation about 5 areas to prepare for when you’re having a baby (mom, baby, relationships, household, and career) as well as the importance of advocating for oneself and asking questions.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Dr. Jess’s personal experience shapes the kind of physician she is
• Why she wishes she would’ve done things differently after pregnancy loss
• What makes Mom & Me MD different from other postpartum care services
• Which unique emotional struggles affect families with babies in critical care
• What “fourth trimester” refers to and how this period can be more challenging for NICU parents
• How to create a postpartum “9-1-1 Crew”
• Why you should prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode253

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this short episode I answer this question from Bailey:

I was wondering if you could speak on partial-molar pregnancy in your podcast? My husband and I recently lost our baby due to this and I had to go through with a d&c, and this was something I hadn’t heard of until it happened to us. Thank you.

If you have a question you want me to answer in the podcast shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Andrea planned an induction at 39 weeks, but things didn't go as anticipated. She thought that her water broke just after 38 weeks and went to the hospital. It turned out that it didn't, but her blood pressure was high and her baby had turned to a transverse position - which is basically going across the uterus - and no matter how hard we try, a baby is not going to fit through the vagina that way. So she ended up having to have a C-section.

A lot of things did not go great with her experience. Quite honestly, some of the things she experienced were just plain awful. Most of the nurses were great but one in particular made her feel like she was failing as a mom. Plus there were some other not ideal experiences which she’ll explain in the episode. These experiences resulted in postpartum depression and anxiety.

Now, despite those challenges, she's also going to share how she’s taking care of herself now. Working with a postpartum coach and a pelvic floor physical therapist have helped her grieve the vaginal birth she wanted but didn't have.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why she referred to her prenatal doctor’s visits as “conveyer belt care”
• How insurance limited what services she had access to
• How connecting with other expectant parents, both online and in person, helped her through a difficult pregnancy
• Which symptoms she experienced (basically every one you can imagine)
• How she felt when she realized she wasn’t going to have a vaginal birth
• What her c-section felt like
• What made her unhappy with her lactation support
• How medication has helped with her postpartum depression

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode252

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Bobbie: https://www.hibobbie.com
* Check out Ritual at get 40% off your first month for a limited time: https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE


Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy